Technology and media
![Photo of a person underwater with a hand on their head wearing a unique gold ear accessory in the shape of a face.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/f38ce098-2701-4957-9b02-82dab75b3230/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Technology and media
idea
Let’s use bold, beautiful hearing aids to celebrate deafness
Hearing aids have always been designed to be concealed, yet they’re a beautiful affirmation of deafness – and should be seen
by Jaipreet Virdi
![A man walking by a girl in Amish clothing on a hoverboard near a pink house with a “Dead End” sign in front.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/bd42d67b-ce14-45eb-86b5-34b84cc46a21/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Technology and media
idea
To be more tech-savvy, borrow these strategies from the Amish
With their focus on values and intentionality, the Amish offer a lesson in thinking critically about digital technology
by Alex Mayyasi
![Painting of a woman in a field with paper aeroplanes flying around her, holding one. The background is colourful and abstract.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8931e89b-c7a9-4c36-81cc-9635080d68db/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Social anxiety
guide
How to use social media if you have social anxiety
If anxiety derails your attempts to share and connect with others online, there are steps you can take to stay in the loop
by Emma Warnock-Parkes
![Abstract orange background with two stick figures amidst geometric shapes and lines.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/39842d13-c9dc-4b2f-8ad9-32d93c194ce2/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Progress and the future
film
Stick figures meet existential angst in this acclaimed, darkly comedic short
Directed by Don Hertzfeldt
![A mannequin head with painted blue eyes and red lips, partially obscured by a blurred pink and white shape in the foreground.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8f9aac17-062f-4c7b-b040-03562570f68e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Sex and sexuality
idea
The sex tech to come could offer more than ‘the real thing’
Sexbots and other artificial lovers might arouse discomfort, but their continued advances could have unexpected upsides
by Rob Brooks
![A girl is shown reading from a device in her hand, her face illuminated by the screen’s light](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/8b396a17-1157-4831-8424-c7264ab84d29/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Technology and media
idea
What does switching from paper to screens mean for how we read?
It’s well established that we absorb less well when reading on screen. But why? And can we do something to improve it?
by Lili Yu, Sixin Liao, Jan-Louis Kruger & Erik D Reichle
![A woman wearing headphones looks at her phone, standing next to an advert featuring a model holding a pink skincare device.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/1031e583-da70-4d04-8456-1217186832cb/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Emerging therapies
guide
How to choose a mental health app
Of the thousands of apps, many are poor quality – but there are a few gems you can trust. Follow these steps to find them
by Margaret Emerson & John Torous
![Digital artwork of several topless figures in various poses on a black background, depicted in a glowing blue-green hue.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/64f05798-eed5-4eee-b9e8-460c4040de0e/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Dance
film
Body heat illuminates a breathtaking dance of light, movement and humanity
Directed by Philippe Baylaucq
![A bowl containing a mobile phone, keychains, earrings, a key, and other small miscellaneous items.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/dfc85fe7-0acf-437b-8d1c-b452ae3a8735/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Technology and media
idea
The pleasure, the pain and the politics of a digital detox
Studying why and how people take digital-media breaks can reveal what individuals and societies value in unmediated spaces
by Trine Syvertsen
![](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/b21bb2bb-8ad8-4f2f-a43b-fa7810299b89/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Parenting and families
idea
DNA testing is easy. It can also turn your family upside down
DNA testing is bringing the era of family secrets to a close. When a surprise is uncovered, lives can change forever
by Libby Copeland
![Abstract human head with anatomical elements and surreal landscapes blending together on a black background with geometric lines.](https://images.aeonmedia.co/images/b010750d-22a1-4ff3-bf0a-f7b61a131b9f/original.jpg?width=3840&quality=75&format=auto)
Music
film
Science, emotion and electronica fuse to form propulsive digital art
Music by Max Cooper